Maroon 5

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Maroon 5:
One of the most popular and celebrated pop rock bands of the 2000s has been undoubtedly been Maroon 5. Led by frontman Adam Levine, Maroon 5 broke onto the mainstream music scene with the release of their 2002 album, Songs About Jane. Since that time, the band has won three Grammys and sold out tour dates worldwide. With rumors spreading about their latest album, Hands All Over, being their last, Maroon 5 spread their musical wings and tried to explore new territories. If the group is disbanding, they're doing it with a bang by playing international tour dates in 2011 that last until the end of the year.

Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, and Ryan Dusick all formed a band called Kara's Flowers while attending Brentwood School in Los Angeles. Despite an appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 and many tour dates, their debut album was such a disappointment that they were dropped from their record contract. Shortly after, Levine and Carmichael went off to Five Towns College in Long Island, where they were exposed to hip-hop and R&B. The duo soon dropped out of college and returned to LA, reuniting with the members of their former band and playing concert dates. While working as a writer's assistant, Levine began writing songs inspired by the failed relationship with his ex-girlfriend. The songs combined Kara's Flowers' pop sounds with the music that he had been exposed to in New York. Despite Octone execs having heard Kara's Flowers' first effort, they agreed to let the band audition again and were blown away by their new sound. Guitarist James Valentine was brought in to take over instrumentation for Levine and their name was changed to Maroon 5 to give them a fresh start.

Upon Songs About Jane's release in 2002, the album received little to no recognition by critics or audiences. But by 2004, people were ecstatic over the album and record sales skyrocketed, eventually going platinum four times in the US. Maroon 5's rise in popularity was partially due to the group's supporting concert dates for John Mayer, who had gone to school with James Valentine. The eventual success of the album was followed by extensive tour dates, which eventually took its toll on drummer Ryan Dusick. He left in 2006 due to injury and was replaced by Matt Flynn of The B-52s. Maroon 5 continued their success in 2007 with the release of It Won't Be Soon Before Long. The album featured a more retro pop sound than the group's previous release, and fans and critics alike responded exuberantly. Maroon 5's latest album, Hands All Over, was released in 2010 and featured more funk and R&B influences.

Unfortunately, Maroon 5 might not get to experiment more with their style, as Adam Levine has hinted that he doesn't want to play music for much longer. If that's true, then fans should check out Maroon 5's tour dates in 2011; and there are dozens upon dozens of them. The band is currently playing concert dates across Asia until the end of May, and after a brief hiatus in June they will return to the US on June 24. After three months of canvassing the United States, Maroon 5 will head to Europe on November 27, where they will begin playing concert dates in Russia and move westward through the continent. 2011 tour dates will end on December 13 in Austria; fans should check Eventful as to not miss a Maroon 5 tour that could be their last.